| Supernatural Fiction posted February 9, 2021 | Chapters: |
...49 50 -51- 52... 
|
  |
The Curse/A Novel of the Breedline series
A chapter in the book THE CURSE
Body Snatchers
by scongrove
The author has placed a warning on this post for violence.
| Background Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. It's new, so if you catch typos or mistakes, please let me know. Stay safe & enjoy! |
Joseph remained in the vacant parking lot of Carrie’s place of work, staring out into the far distance. Through the dark tinted windows of his Jeep, he watched as the sky grew dreary and gray. And his mind was as dismal and gloomy as the clouds above: A complete whirlwind, filled with dread and turmoil. But it was also full of emotions he hadn’t felt in years: Empathy, compassion, and… love.
He’d thought, prayed, that after he avenged his mother’s death, he would start to feel normal again, but that wasn’t the case, was it? He had evil inside of him. An evil derived from the deepest pits of hell.
The voice in his head continued to taunt him, to control him, and to use him to do its evil bidding. The Shadow’s continuous urges to kill was taking a toll, not only on his body, but his mental state as well. He couldn’t help but wonder if his life would finally come to some sort of normalcy, or was he doomed to live the remainder like a puppet on a string? And was he truly at fault for all the killings he was forced into? The horrifying thought rolled around in his mind, sickening him to the core.
He squeezed his eyes closed. No, he feverishly thought. It’s not my fault.
“Stop whining, Joseph,” the Shadow said in a nagging, irritating voice. “And get moving! My patience is wearing thin.”
Joseph’s lids flipped open. “Please…” he said, lifting his gaze toward the rearview mirror. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”
The Shadow laughed. “You wouldn’t last a day without me. You can’t even make it through the morning without my help. How else do you think you’re able to get out of bed? Without me, you’d be a pathetic loser… a detrimental on society… nothing but an empty vessel, aimlessly wandering around in a brainless meatsuit.
Can you honestly imagine what your life would be? Think Joseph.
Who do you think encouraged you to pull that trigger after your father murdered your mother? You were but a mere frightened child with no one to protect you. I gave you that power. And who gave you the strength to survive and overcome all those years in the mental institute? I provided you with those cunning skills. You’d still be in there if it wasn’t for me, you idiot.”
Joseph frowned and looked away, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles went white. The inner core of him couldn’t bear how weak and powerless the Shadow’s words made him feel. Then, out of nowhere, something inside of him took over. All at once, a tremendous emotion boiled in his gut and grew until he felt he was going to explode. It was a rage he’d never felt before. With a sudden surge, he curled up a fist and punched out the driver’s windshield.
Just as his anger was getting away from him, the Shadow’s voice whispered into his subconscious, “Look at me, Joseph.”
As Joseph stared out of the broken window, continuing to ignore the Shadow, he braced himself for the repercussions of his actions.
After a few moments of silence, the Shadow raised his voice. “I said… look at me, Joseph.”
He swallowed back the pain burning in his hand and slowly turned toward the rearview mirror. He froze as he looked at the repulsive reflection staring back at him and heard himself wince. He rubbed his eyes, not sure if what he was looking at was real or just a figment of his imagination. The skin covering his face had shifted until he was completely unrecognizable, his handsome features replaced by something evil and demonic. His eyes were two dark pits and his mouth displayed rows and rows of sharp, jagged teeth.
“My god…” Joseph gasped, his voice no longer the same, a mixture of his natural voice and a seething tone that was chillingly familiar.
His first thought was to get out and run, but instead, he opened his mouth and choked out, “What’s happening to me?”
“Take a closer look in the mirror,” the Shadow said, his taunting voice echoing in Joseph’s mind.
Joseph kept his eyes forward although he wanted nothing more than to look away from the horror staring back at him.
“Tell me, Joseph. Do you like what you see?”
“Please…” Tears raced to his eyes. “No more. I’m begging you.”
“The girl is changing you, Joseph. She’s making you weak. We need to get rid of her.”
“No,” Joseph pleaded, shaking his head. “Carrie has nothing to do with—”
“What the hell are you still doing here?”
Joseph flinched and as he turned to meet Carrie’s boss, her eyes instantly bulged in horror.
“Kill her, Joseph,” the Shadow demanded.
The second Veronica opened her mouth to scream, Joseph’s only thought was to save Carrie. And then, painful memories flashed before his eyes like random images in a photobook. He thought of the brutal death of his mother at the hands of his father. Pictured the years of abuse and deterioration etched into every groove of her face. Recalled the last words she’d spoken. Remembered the loneliness and isolation that consumed him. And in the center of all his recollections, he felt a dark presence taking form and inhabiting his body, using him for the sole purpose of evil.
“If you want Carrie to live…” the Shadow gritted out, “…do it now!”
He snapped back to focus as Veronica’s scream blared into his ears like the sound of a trumpet. And her wide, horrified eyes were locked on his mouth that was chock-full of sharp pointed teeth.
The moment she turned and took off at a dead run, he went after her. As she got to her car and reached for the door, he grabbed a fist full of her hair.
When she started to scream, he yanked her head back and clamped his free hand over her mouth. Although his strength overrode her ability to get away, she squirmed against his hold and screamed into the palm of his hand.
“Yesss…” the Shadow hissed. “Now finish her off, Joseph.”
As Joseph stood there with his hand over Veronica’s mouth, a part of him wanted to end her life, to shut her up for good. Besides, what choice did he have? His hand was being forced to pick between two lives: A woman with a spiteful heart or the woman he loved. Even though he did not want to kill again, Carrie was worth the sacrifice.
But when Veronica started to sob, something inside of him shifted. His pulse throbbed and his heart raced, fluttering like the wings of a butterfly. It was rather strange and mystifying. Then, a chill came over him, tingling all over the surface of his skin. Joseph was bewildered, lost suddenly, and unable to choose between life or death. It was as though he was stuck in limbo. And then he thought of his mother again. He pictured how she looked right before her death. The painful expression on her tear-stained face swirled together with the woman’s he was about to kill.
“What are you waiting for?” the Shadow groaned. “End her rotten life!”
“I cannot,” Joseph said under his breath.
“I can force you, Joseph. My blood courses through your veins.”
“So. Does. Mine,” Joseph said through gritted teeth.
Without saying another word, Joseph released Veronica’s hair and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. After a few seconds that seemed to last forever, he finally said, “If I remove my other hand, promise me you won’t scream.”
She quickly nodded against his hand.
While he silently waited for her to collect herself, it wasn’t long before her sobs diminished to soft puffs of air. Then slowly, he lowered his hand and took hold of her arm. Right way, her shoulders tensed when he turned her around to face him. But to her relief, the horrid image of what she’d witnessed only moments ago were no longer present.
Her legs shook uncontrollably until her knees threatened to give out. The second they started to buckle, Joseph tightened his grip and held her steady.
“It’s okay,” he said in a gentle voice. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Veronica closed her eyes and bit at her bottom lip, holding her tears at bay. With all the strength she could muster, she lifted her lids. And to her surprise, Joseph’s eyes were wet with tears.
Out of nowhere, an unexplainable emotion came over her as she peered into the tortured depths of his blue eyes. It was so overwhelming, a pain of a different kind, like having part of your soul ripped out.
“Oh my god…” she gasped. “What’s happened to you?”
Shame instantly crowded into his eyes. “I-It’s…” He lowered his head. “It’s hard to explain.”
She reached out and cupped his chin. “Please… look at me, Joseph.”
Tears streaked down his cheeks as he lifted his eyes to meet her gaze. He could feel her staring holes through him as if trying to figure out what he was. If he was a threat. But it was obvious he was harmless by the sadness in his eyes and the despair that hovered over him like the darkest cloud.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
His jaw dropped. “W-What?”
“I just want you to know I’m sorry for what I said to you earlier,” she went on to say. “And I’m sorry for how I treated Carrie.”
Chill bumps prickled his skin. What the heck? For some odd reason, the science fiction horror film Invasion of the Body Snatchers suddenly came to Joseph’s mind. It was like Veronica had somehow magically transformed into someone nice. And she seemed a little forgetful. The previous incident between them appeared completely removed from her memory. But how can it be?
As he opened his mouth to speak, she held up a halting hand. “I promise, first thing in the morning, I’m going to apologize to Carrie. You have my word. From now on, things are going to be different.”
“Oh, you can count on that,” the Shadow abruptly spoke into Joseph’s mind. “And there will be suffering.”
The Shadow started to laugh, lightly at first, then louder, until Joseph's ears hurt from the pitch of the sinister, murderous glee.
To be continued. . .
He’d thought, prayed, that after he avenged his mother’s death, he would start to feel normal again, but that wasn’t the case, was it? He had evil inside of him. An evil derived from the deepest pits of hell.
The voice in his head continued to taunt him, to control him, and to use him to do its evil bidding. The Shadow’s continuous urges to kill was taking a toll, not only on his body, but his mental state as well. He couldn’t help but wonder if his life would finally come to some sort of normalcy, or was he doomed to live the remainder like a puppet on a string? And was he truly at fault for all the killings he was forced into? The horrifying thought rolled around in his mind, sickening him to the core.
He squeezed his eyes closed. No, he feverishly thought. It’s not my fault.
“Stop whining, Joseph,” the Shadow said in a nagging, irritating voice. “And get moving! My patience is wearing thin.”
Joseph’s lids flipped open. “Please…” he said, lifting his gaze toward the rearview mirror. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”
The Shadow laughed. “You wouldn’t last a day without me. You can’t even make it through the morning without my help. How else do you think you’re able to get out of bed? Without me, you’d be a pathetic loser… a detrimental on society… nothing but an empty vessel, aimlessly wandering around in a brainless meatsuit.
Can you honestly imagine what your life would be? Think Joseph.
Who do you think encouraged you to pull that trigger after your father murdered your mother? You were but a mere frightened child with no one to protect you. I gave you that power. And who gave you the strength to survive and overcome all those years in the mental institute? I provided you with those cunning skills. You’d still be in there if it wasn’t for me, you idiot.”
Joseph frowned and looked away, gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles went white. The inner core of him couldn’t bear how weak and powerless the Shadow’s words made him feel. Then, out of nowhere, something inside of him took over. All at once, a tremendous emotion boiled in his gut and grew until he felt he was going to explode. It was a rage he’d never felt before. With a sudden surge, he curled up a fist and punched out the driver’s windshield.
Just as his anger was getting away from him, the Shadow’s voice whispered into his subconscious, “Look at me, Joseph.”
As Joseph stared out of the broken window, continuing to ignore the Shadow, he braced himself for the repercussions of his actions.
After a few moments of silence, the Shadow raised his voice. “I said… look at me, Joseph.”
He swallowed back the pain burning in his hand and slowly turned toward the rearview mirror. He froze as he looked at the repulsive reflection staring back at him and heard himself wince. He rubbed his eyes, not sure if what he was looking at was real or just a figment of his imagination. The skin covering his face had shifted until he was completely unrecognizable, his handsome features replaced by something evil and demonic. His eyes were two dark pits and his mouth displayed rows and rows of sharp, jagged teeth.
“My god…” Joseph gasped, his voice no longer the same, a mixture of his natural voice and a seething tone that was chillingly familiar.
His first thought was to get out and run, but instead, he opened his mouth and choked out, “What’s happening to me?”
“Take a closer look in the mirror,” the Shadow said, his taunting voice echoing in Joseph’s mind.
Joseph kept his eyes forward although he wanted nothing more than to look away from the horror staring back at him.
“Tell me, Joseph. Do you like what you see?”
“Please…” Tears raced to his eyes. “No more. I’m begging you.”
“The girl is changing you, Joseph. She’s making you weak. We need to get rid of her.”
“No,” Joseph pleaded, shaking his head. “Carrie has nothing to do with—”
“What the hell are you still doing here?”
Joseph flinched and as he turned to meet Carrie’s boss, her eyes instantly bulged in horror.
“Kill her, Joseph,” the Shadow demanded.
The second Veronica opened her mouth to scream, Joseph’s only thought was to save Carrie. And then, painful memories flashed before his eyes like random images in a photobook. He thought of the brutal death of his mother at the hands of his father. Pictured the years of abuse and deterioration etched into every groove of her face. Recalled the last words she’d spoken. Remembered the loneliness and isolation that consumed him. And in the center of all his recollections, he felt a dark presence taking form and inhabiting his body, using him for the sole purpose of evil.
“If you want Carrie to live…” the Shadow gritted out, “…do it now!”
He snapped back to focus as Veronica’s scream blared into his ears like the sound of a trumpet. And her wide, horrified eyes were locked on his mouth that was chock-full of sharp pointed teeth.
The moment she turned and took off at a dead run, he went after her. As she got to her car and reached for the door, he grabbed a fist full of her hair.
When she started to scream, he yanked her head back and clamped his free hand over her mouth. Although his strength overrode her ability to get away, she squirmed against his hold and screamed into the palm of his hand.
“Yesss…” the Shadow hissed. “Now finish her off, Joseph.”
As Joseph stood there with his hand over Veronica’s mouth, a part of him wanted to end her life, to shut her up for good. Besides, what choice did he have? His hand was being forced to pick between two lives: A woman with a spiteful heart or the woman he loved. Even though he did not want to kill again, Carrie was worth the sacrifice.
But when Veronica started to sob, something inside of him shifted. His pulse throbbed and his heart raced, fluttering like the wings of a butterfly. It was rather strange and mystifying. Then, a chill came over him, tingling all over the surface of his skin. Joseph was bewildered, lost suddenly, and unable to choose between life or death. It was as though he was stuck in limbo. And then he thought of his mother again. He pictured how she looked right before her death. The painful expression on her tear-stained face swirled together with the woman’s he was about to kill.
“What are you waiting for?” the Shadow groaned. “End her rotten life!”
“I cannot,” Joseph said under his breath.
“I can force you, Joseph. My blood courses through your veins.”
“So. Does. Mine,” Joseph said through gritted teeth.
Without saying another word, Joseph released Veronica’s hair and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. After a few seconds that seemed to last forever, he finally said, “If I remove my other hand, promise me you won’t scream.”
She quickly nodded against his hand.
While he silently waited for her to collect herself, it wasn’t long before her sobs diminished to soft puffs of air. Then slowly, he lowered his hand and took hold of her arm. Right way, her shoulders tensed when he turned her around to face him. But to her relief, the horrid image of what she’d witnessed only moments ago were no longer present.
Her legs shook uncontrollably until her knees threatened to give out. The second they started to buckle, Joseph tightened his grip and held her steady.
“It’s okay,” he said in a gentle voice. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Veronica closed her eyes and bit at her bottom lip, holding her tears at bay. With all the strength she could muster, she lifted her lids. And to her surprise, Joseph’s eyes were wet with tears.
Out of nowhere, an unexplainable emotion came over her as she peered into the tortured depths of his blue eyes. It was so overwhelming, a pain of a different kind, like having part of your soul ripped out.
“Oh my god…” she gasped. “What’s happened to you?”
Shame instantly crowded into his eyes. “I-It’s…” He lowered his head. “It’s hard to explain.”
She reached out and cupped his chin. “Please… look at me, Joseph.”
Tears streaked down his cheeks as he lifted his eyes to meet her gaze. He could feel her staring holes through him as if trying to figure out what he was. If he was a threat. But it was obvious he was harmless by the sadness in his eyes and the despair that hovered over him like the darkest cloud.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
His jaw dropped. “W-What?”
“I just want you to know I’m sorry for what I said to you earlier,” she went on to say. “And I’m sorry for how I treated Carrie.”
Chill bumps prickled his skin. What the heck? For some odd reason, the science fiction horror film Invasion of the Body Snatchers suddenly came to Joseph’s mind. It was like Veronica had somehow magically transformed into someone nice. And she seemed a little forgetful. The previous incident between them appeared completely removed from her memory. But how can it be?
As he opened his mouth to speak, she held up a halting hand. “I promise, first thing in the morning, I’m going to apologize to Carrie. You have my word. From now on, things are going to be different.”
“Oh, you can count on that,” the Shadow abruptly spoke into Joseph’s mind. “And there will be suffering.”
The Shadow started to laugh, lightly at first, then louder, until Joseph's ears hurt from the pitch of the sinister, murderous glee.
To be continued. . .
A reference for terms and cast of characters in the chapter, especially for new readers:
BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
Joseph Parker - He works at the San Francisco Chronicle as a freelance journalist. At age five, an evil entity invaded his body after his father murdered his mother. While his father was sent to prison for his crime, Joseph was placed into several foster families until finally forced into a mental institute after diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior. As time passed and with the evil entity's guidance, Joseph was later released into society.
The Shadow - An evil entity who has possessed Joseph Parker. Its main purpose is to gain access to souls by using its host to kill, consuming human flesh.
Carrie Randall - She is Detective Frank Perkin's niece. She works as a substance abuse counselor in Berkeley, California. She has a love interest in Joseph Parker.
Veronica Hernandez - Carrie's horrible boss.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. BREEDLINE - A species of humans that have the ability to change from human form into wolf form if they are born an identical twin. They are not like the old legend of the Lycanthropy myth. The Breedline species can shift into their wolf at will. The moon has no power over them. They do not pass their ability to other humans. Although they live among humans, their species is secret. In wolf form, they have super-strength, speed, and heightened senses. Compared to humans, Breedlines have tremendous advantages when it comes to health. Their bodies heal fast and are not subject to illness or diseases. The only thing that slows their healing process is silver. It is their kryptonite. Besides old age, a silver bullet to the brain is the only way to kill a Breedline.
All male Breedlines change into their first wolf at the age of eighteen. Female Breedlines do not go through the change until they make love to their Breedline bonded mate.
Joseph Parker - He works at the San Francisco Chronicle as a freelance journalist. At age five, an evil entity invaded his body after his father murdered his mother. While his father was sent to prison for his crime, Joseph was placed into several foster families until finally forced into a mental institute after diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychopathic behavior. As time passed and with the evil entity's guidance, Joseph was later released into society.
The Shadow - An evil entity who has possessed Joseph Parker. Its main purpose is to gain access to souls by using its host to kill, consuming human flesh.
Carrie Randall - She is Detective Frank Perkin's niece. She works as a substance abuse counselor in Berkeley, California. She has a love interest in Joseph Parker.
Veronica Hernandez - Carrie's horrible boss.
You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.
© Copyright 2024. scongrove All rights reserved. Registered copyright with FanStory.
scongrove has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
